Climbing skin size calculator: width, length and trim
Size climbing skins from the widest point of the ski, which is the tip, not the waist. Buy the first nominal skin width at least as wide as your tip: 100, 110, 120, 130 or 140 mm. Cut tip to tail, and trim to leave 1 to 2 mm of steel edge showing along each side, which is what lets the ski hold a sidehill instead of washing out.
Two numbers and one trim. Skin width comes from the widest point of the ski rather than the waist, length runs tip to tail, and the trim leaves one to two millimetres of steel edge showing on each side. Get the trim wrong and the ski washes out on every firm sidehill, which is the most common complaint about skins and is almost never the skin's fault.
Skin size calculator
Take the dimensions from the manufacturer's spec sheet for your exact ski and length.
In millimetres, the widest point.
In centimetres.
Nominal widths follow the common industry sizes. Manufacturers publish fitment ranges per model and per ski, and those win where they disagree with a general rule.
Typical ski and skin pairings
| Ski | Tip | Waist | Length | Skin width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow touring ski | 112 mm | 82 mm | 170 cm | 120 mm |
| All-round touring ski | 126 mm | 96 mm | 178 cm | 130 mm |
| Wide touring ski | 134 mm | 105 mm | 182 cm | 140 mm |
| Powder touring ski | 141 mm | 112 mm | 186 cm | 140 mm |
Look at the gap between the waist and the tip on each row. That gap is the whole reason people buy the wrong skins: a 96 mm waist reads as a 100 mm skin, and the tip that is actually 126 mm ends up with a bare shovel that slips on the first firm traverse of the day.
How to trim a skin without ruining it
Do it warm and do it once. Bring the skins and the skis indoors so the glue is pliable and the plush is soft, and lay the ski base-up on a stable surface. Attach the tip loop, pull the skin down the length of the ski under firm even tension, and make sure it is centred: a skin laid on crooked will be trimmed crooked and there is no way back.
Use the trimming tool supplied with the skins. It rides along the ski edge with a blade offset by the correct amount, which is what produces the one to two millimetre reveal. Cut from tip to tail in one continuous pull rather than in short strokes, because a stop-start cut leaves a scalloped edge that collects snow and eventually starts peeling. Then do the second side, and only then trim the tail.
If you are unsure, most shops will trim skins for you, often free with the purchase, and it takes them five minutes. Given that a badly trimmed pair is a ruined pair, that is a good trade.
Plush material, and what you are actually choosing
Nylon is the durable, high-grip, low-glide option. It holds on the steepest skin tracks and it drags noticeably on the flats, and it will outlast a mohair skin by a wide margin. Mohair is natural goat hair: it glides so much better that on rolling terrain you stop lifting your skis and start sliding them, which is a real energy saving over a long day, and it grips less and wears faster.
A mix, commonly around 70 percent mohair and 30 percent nylon, is where most experienced tourers end up, because it captures most of the glide with a useful amount of the durability. The full argument is in mohair against nylon skins.
Glue is the consumable, and heat is what kills it
The plush usually outlasts the glue. Dry skins at room temperature, glue side out, and never on a radiator, in front of a fire or in a hot car, because heat degrades the adhesive permanently. Once dry, store them glue to glue or on the supplied mesh cheat sheet, and keep them somewhere cool.
In the field, keep skins off the snow when they are folded, which is what the cheat sheet is for, and keep them inside your jacket on a cold transition so the glue stays tacky. Carry a couple of ski straps: a skin that has stopped sticking can be strapped to the ski at the tip and mid-body, which is ugly and gets you home. When the glue finally goes, reglue it rather than replacing the skins, which is covered in skin care and glue repair.
Related
Match the skin to the ski before you buy either, and remember that a wider ski means wider and heavier skins, which is part of the weight argument on the touring ski roundup. If you are still assembling a kit, the first touring setup prices skins alongside everything else, and how to skin uphill covers the technique that saves more energy than any equipment choice.
Frequently asked questions
What width climbing skins do I need?
Size from the widest point of the ski, which is almost always the tip, not from the waist. Skins are sold in nominal widths of roughly 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 mm, and you buy the first one that is at least as wide as your tip, then trim it to the ski. A skin narrower than the tip leaves the shovel bare, and a bare shovel slips on a firm skin track exactly when you need grip.
How much of the ski edge should the skin leave showing?
One to two millimetres of steel edge along each side. That strip is what lets the ski hold a sidehill instead of washing out on a firm traverse. A skin trimmed flush to the edge covers the steel and the ski slips sideways; a skin trimmed too narrow gives up grip and lets snow pack under the edges.
How long should skins be cut?
Tip to tail, following the ski. With a tail clip you need the full length plus enough to fold under the tail and tension, which is what the supplied length allows for. Without a tail clip you can cut roughly 5 cm short of the tail, since nothing has to wrap. Always dry-fit before you cut, because you cannot add material back.
Do I need tail clips on my skins?
They are not mandatory and they are worth having. A tail clip tensions the skin along its length, which makes it far less likely to peel off in wet or warm snow, at the cost of a few grams and a slightly slower transition. Tip-only skins are lighter and simpler and are more likely to let go on a warm spring afternoon.
Mohair, nylon, or a mix?
Nylon grips hardest, glides worst and lasts longest. Mohair glides noticeably better, grips less and wears faster. A mohair-nylon mix, often around 70-30, sits between them and is where most experienced tourers end up. Steep skin tracks and heavy use favour nylon; long rolling approaches favour mohair.
How long do skins last?
The plush usually outlasts the glue. Expect several seasons of regular use, with a reglue every two to four seasons depending on how often the skins are folded wet and how warm they are dried. Careful drying at room temperature and storage glue to glue or on the supplied mesh is the single biggest factor in skin life.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, published certification standards and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test equipment in person, and every figure quoted here is the manufacturer's published number unless we say otherwise. This is researched buying guidance and not professional instruction: binding release values are set by a certified technician on a calibrated jig, and avalanche terrain requires formal training and a current regional forecast that no article can replace.
